VIP BIM User Reference Guide 1st Edition - Soft

Copyright Notice
Copyright 2007 by Softline VIP, hereinafter referred to as "VIP", under the Copyright Law of the
Republic of South Africa.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or
translated into a human or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise without the express permission in writing of VIP.
Disclaimer
Softline VIP makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents hereof. Further, Softline
VIP reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes in the content hereof, from time to
time, without obligation to notify any person or organisation of such revision or change.
The sole purpose of this User Reference Guide is to provide the registered users of the VIP Business
Intelligence Manager Module with adequate information on how to operate this Module. The use of this
document for any other use is prohibited.
VIP Business Intelligence Manager User Reference Guide
1st Edition February 2007
ISBN-13: 978-0-9584993-6-1
ISBN-10: 0-9584993-6-5
Published by:
Softline VIP
PO Box 38017
Garsfontein East
Pretoria
0060
Trademarks Notice
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
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Softline VIP
VIP Business Intelligence Manager
User Reference Guide
1st Edition
Contents
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Introduction to VIP BIM ....................................................................................................... 3
Support Tools ....................................................................................................................... 4
Contact Details .......................................................................................................................... 5
Conventions .......................................................................................................................... 6
Chapter 2 - Getting Started

Installing the VIP BIM Module ........................................................................................... 13
Accessing the VIP System .................................................................................................. 14
The Initial Entry screen .............................................................................................................14
The VIP Main Menu ...................................................................................................................15
Understanding the VIP Menu Options .........................................................................................16
Accessing the VIP BIM Menu ..................................................................................................16
Options on the VIP BIM Menu ................................................................................................17
VIP BIM Demo Reports....................................................................................................... 18
VIP BIM Live Demo Reports ............................................................................................... 19
VIP BIM Report Manager.................................................................................................... 22
Layout of the Report Manager ...................................................................................................24
Menu Options and Toolbar Buttons ............................................................................................26
Running Standard Reports .........................................................................................................28
Chapter 3 - Creating Reports

Creating a New Report ....................................................................................................... 35
Report Properties ............................................................................................................... 41
Advanced Report Properties.......................................................................................................42
Locking a Report ...................................................................................................................42
Hiding the Source Data in the Report ......................................................................................44
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Report Properties Buttons..........................................................................................................45

Adjusting the Column Order.......................................................................................................46
Filters.......................................................................................................................................48
Applying a Filter ....................................................................................................................48
Advanced Filter options on the Filters Properties window .........................................................50
Parameters ...............................................................................................................................59
Comparison Methods used in Filters and Parameters................................................................61
The Begins With Comparison Method ....................................................................................61
The Is In Comparison Method ...............................................................................................63
The Is Like Comparison Method ............................................................................................65
Sort Fields ................................................................................................................................67
Aggregate Filters.......................................................................................................................69
Linking the MS Excel Workbook as a Report Template...................................................... 70
Copying Reports into other VIP Companies ....................................................................... 71
Union Reports ..................................................................................................................... 74
Chapter 4 - Manipulating Data in MS Excel - Pivot Tables

Manipulating Data in MS Excel ........................................................................................... 81
Pivot Tables ........................................................................................................................ 82
The Pivot Table Wizard..............................................................................................................82
Quick Pivot ...............................................................................................................................85
General Pivot Table Information.................................................................................................87
Creating Pivot Tables ................................................................................................................89
VIP Field Aliasing ......................................................................................................................98
Creating Charts from Pivot Tables ............................................................................................102
Saving the Chart to another Worksheet.................................................................................105
Inserting a Chart Title ..........................................................................................................107
Removing Pivot Chart Field buttons ......................................................................................109
Inserting Chart Labels..........................................................................................................112
Formatting the Chart Area....................................................................................................114
Hide Pivot Data Field Columns Add-in Function .........................................................................115
Assign a Password to a Workbook ................................................................................... 118
Chapter 5 - General Information

Access Control .................................................................................................................. 123
Assigning Access Levels to Reports ..........................................................................................123
Assigning Access Levels to Employees ......................................................................................124
Backup for VIP BIM .......................................................................................................... 126
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Chapter 1
Introduction
In this Chapter:
Introduction to VIP BIM
Support Tools
Contact Details
Conventions
VIP BIM User Reference Guide

2007 Softline VIP

2007 Softline VIP
Introduction to VIP BIM

VIP Business Intelligence Manager (VIP BIM) is a user-friendly report writing solution that uses MS
Excel, the most familiar reporting platform worldwide, to provide you with flexible, sophisticated and
professional reporting for your business.
It is common knowledge that companies are frustrated with their information management processes.
The VIP BIM is an easy-to-use reporting interface that provides VIP users with a powerful solution.
VIP BIM allows you to extract data from VIP, and manipulate this data into a meaningful format, by
utilising the countless functionalities of MS Excel.
The aim of this User Reference Guide is to:
Introduce you to the basic functions of the VIP BIM Module,
Provide you with step-by-step information of extracting data from VIP into MS Excel, using the
VIP BIM Report Manager, and
Supply you with useful and practical examples of transforming this data into sensible
information, using Pivot Tables in MS Excel.
Features of VIP BIM covered in this User Reference Guide:
Standard Reports that are included with the VIP BIM Module are run and explained,
Learn how to create customised Reports from VIP BIM using pre-defined Data Containers,
Refine the data in your Reports by applying filters, parameters and sorting to the Report
Properties,
Define Access Levels to all your customised Reports,
Copy customised Reports into other VIP companies,
Use Pivot Tables to control the output of your data by converting raw VIP data into valuable
and meaningful information,
Create charts from your Pivot Tables to present your data in a graphical format,
Use VIP Field Aliasing to convert the Pivot Table descriptions to those in VIP so that the data
is easy to understand,
Link your Reports to Report Templates so that your data does not have to be re-formatted
each time the Report is run,
Use Union Reports to extract data from different Data Containers and place all the data in the
same MS Excel workbook, and
Assign passwords to your MS Excel workbooks to maintain the confidentiality of your data.

2007 Softline VIP
Support Tools
If you have any queries relating to your VIP BIM Module you can get support in various ways:
You can refer to your User Reference Guide that you obtain when purchasing the VIP BIM Module.
This practical User Reference Guide introduces you to all the features of this Module. It provides you
with all the information needed to extract data from VIP into MS Excel and offers practical solutions of
transforming data into useful information, by using Pivot Tables in MS Excel.
One of VIPs most valuable services is Classroom Training. The VIP BIM Workshop has been
developed to provide you with valuable information and practical hands-on guidance in using this
Module. Contact your nearest VIP branch for more information.
You can contact your nearest VIP branch to arrange a Consultation where you will receive personal
one-on-one assistance with your specific requirements.
You can contact your nearest VIP Call Centre for assistance via Telephonic Support. The various
VIP branches and their contact details are listed on the next page.
Remember to quote your SITE Code when you phone in.
My Company Details:
Company Name:
SITE Code:

2007 Softline VIP
Contact Details
Pretoria (Head Office)
(012) 420-7000
(012) 420-7344
Johannesburg
Port Elizabeth
(041) 502-7500
(041) 373-9811
Bloemfontein
(011) 602-7600
(051) 444-5673
(011) 803-9204
(051) 444-5672
Cape Town
Gaborone
(021) 938-3800
(09267) 318-7445
(021) 930-0301
(09267) 395-3250
Durban
Windhoek
(031) 242-5900
(0926461) 22-6572
(031) 266-0943
(0926461) 22-6573
National Contact Number

(South Africa)
0861 55 44 33
Website
www.softlinevip.co.za
E-mail
info@vippayroll.co.za

2007 Softline VIP
Conventions
The VIP BIM Module is Windows based and as such adheres to standard Windows conventions. If
you are familiar with Windows, this Reference Guide will be easy to follow.
The following conventions are used in this User Reference Guide:
When a warning is given regarding a specific topic discussed.
When additional information is given regarding a specific topic discussed.
Contacting VIP Sales for information about Licenced Modules, or contacting the VIP Call
Centre for general assistance.
The following conventions are used in VIP BIM:

Menu Options:
Menu Bar:

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Shortcut Menu Options:

Right-click on a Folder for the Shortcut Menu Options to be displayed:
Folders:
Toolbar Buttons:
Scroll Bar:

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Tick Box:
Windows:

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Buttons:
Tabs:
Entry Field:

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Combo Box:
Radio Button:
Minimise, Maximise and Exit:
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Chapter 2
Getting Started
In this Chapter:
Installing the VIP BIM Module
Accessing the VIP System
o The Initial Entry screen
o The VIP Main Menu
o Understanding the VIP Menu Options
VIP BIM Demo Reports
VIP BIM Live Demo Reports
VIP BIM Report Manager

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Installing the VIP BIM Module

The VIP BIM Module is a licenced VIP Module.
Your VIP Consultant will license the VIP BIM Module upon Installation of the VIP Payroll System. If
you have purchased the VIP BIM Module after implementation of the VIP Payroll System, you will
have to obtain an access code from the VIP Call Centre or from your VIP Consultant in order to license
this Module.
The Licenced Module screen is accessed via VIPs Initial Entry screen. See The Initial Entry screen
on page 14 for more information about this screen.
To access the Licenced Module screen:
Click on
Options on the Initial Entry screen
Click on
Licenced Modules
The following screen which shows the details of the Licenced Module screen, will be displayed:
A b(tick) in the Tick box next
to the description VIPBIM
Report
Manager
and
Community on this screen
indicates that you are licenced
to use the VIP BIM Module.
A b(tick) in the Tick box next
to the description VIPBIM
Report Administrator on
this screen indicates that you
are licenced to use the VIP
BIM Administrator Tool.

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Accessing the VIP System

To access the VIP System, double-click on the applicable VIP icon on your desktop, e.g:
VIP Premier.lnk
or
VIP Premier
or
VIP Classic
VIP Essentials
This will open up the Initial Entry screen for the respective VIP System.
The Initial Entry screen
This screen indicates the System and the Release Number that you are currently working on, e.g.
Premier 2.4a or Classic 2.4a or Essentials 2.4a, as well as other important information such as the
Processing Period, Number of Employees, Tax Country, Type of Company, etc. In the centre of the
screen it shows the available companies.
Double-click on the company that you want to access or click on it so that it is highlighted and then
click on
. You will be prompted to enter your Password.
If you make use of the Make use of Login Names option in VIP Premier, you will be
prompted to enter your Login Name as well as your Password before gaining access to the
selected company.
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The VIP Main Menu

The VIP System is Menu-driven and the Main Menu is divided into logical areas. From the Main Menu,
you select the area in which you want to work, e.g. VIP Business Intelligence Manager, for which
further Menu options will be displayed.
VIP Main Menu:
For the purposes of this User Reference Guide, screenprints from the VIP Classic
System are used. The screens for the VIP Premier System and the VIP Essentials
System are essentially the same.

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Understanding the VIP Menu Options

As soon as you have selected an area from the Main Menu, the drop-down Menu for that area will be
displayed.
In this User Reference Guide, the VIP Business Intelligence Manager Menu options will be discussed.
Accessing the VIP BIM Menu:

Using the mouse
From the VIP Main Menu, click on VIP Business Intelligence Manager.
A drop-down Menu for this area will be displayed. From the drop-down
Menu, click on the option you want, e.g. VIP BIM Report Manager.
Using the keyboard
From the VIP Main Menu, hold down the <Alt> key and type the
underlined letter, e.g. <Alt> V for VIP Business Intelligence Manager.
A drop-down Menu for this area will be displayed. Type the underlined
letter, e.g. P for VIP BIM Report Manager.
Example:
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2007 Softline VIP
Options on the VIP BIM Menu:

Menu Option
Description
VIP BIM Demo

Reports
This option will provide you with a list of standard Demo Reports that you
can print if you would like a demonstration of the different Types of
Reports that can be created from VIP BIM.
Demo data is used for these Reports.
See VIP BIM Demo Reports on page 18 for more information.
VIP BIM Live Demo

Reports
This option will only be available if you have activated the Activate VIP
BIM Live Demo option on the Company Miscellaneous screen.
You will be able to print the standard Demo Reports, but using data from
your live VIP company.
See VIP BIM Live Demo Reports on page 19 for more information.
VIP BIM Report

Manager
This option will access the Report Manager from where you are able to
create your own Reports.
See VIP BIM Report Manager on page 22 for more information.
VIP BIM Community
This option will access the VIP BIM Download Centre, from where the
standard VIP Reports can be downloaded.
VIP BIM
Administrator Tool
This option will only be available if you are licensed for the VIP BIM
Administrator Tool.
This option assists you in creating new data sources and data containers.
Contact VIP Sales for more information about this option.

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This option will provide you with a list of standard Demo Reports that you can print if you would like a
demonstration of the different Types of Reports that can be created from VIP BIM.
Demo data is used for these Reports.
Accessing VIP BIM Demo Reports from the Main Menu:

Click on
Click on
A screen similar to the one below will be displayed:
The list of standard Demo Reports will be displayed on this screen. Click on the required option and
click on
.
The selected VIP BIM Demo Report, using demo data, will be displayed in MS Excel, from where it
may be printed.
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2007 Softline VIP

This option allows you to print the standard Demo Reports, using data from your live VIP company.
This option will only be available if you have activated the Activate VIP BIM Live Demo
option on the Company Miscellaneous screen.
Activating the VIP BIM Live Demo Reports option

Accessing the Company Miscellaneous screen for VIP Premier:
Click on
Company
Click on
Miscellaneous
Click on
the Miscellaneous 2 tab
Select (b tick) the Activate

VIP BIM Live Demo
option.

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Accessing the Company Miscellaneous screen for VIP Classic and VIP Essentials:
Click on
Company
Click on
Miscellaneous
Select (b tick) the Activate

VIP BIM Live Demo
option.
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Printing the VIP BIM Live Demo Reports

Accessing VIP BIM Live Demo Reports from the Main Menu:
Click on
Click on
When you click on this option, a screen similar to the one below will be displayed:
The list of standard Demo Reports will be displayed on this screen. Click on the required option and
.
click on
The selected VIP BIM Live Demo Report, using live data of the company, will be displayed in MS
Excel, from where it may be printed.
You will also be able to print these Reports from the VIP BIM Report Manager once you
have purchased the VIP BIM Module.

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You may create your own Reports using the VIP BIM Report Manager. The VIP BIM Report Manager
allows you to create Reports which extract data from VIP into MS Excel, from where the data may be
manipulated into a meaningful format, by utilising the countless functionalities of MS Excel.
The Reports that are created in the Report Manager are VIP company-specific, i.e. if you have
accessed the Report Manager via company 01, the Reports that are created will use live data for
company 01 when extracted to MS Excel.
Reports may be copied from one VIP company to another. See Copying Reports into other VIP
Companies on page 71 for more information.
Accessing VIP BIM Report Manager from the Main Menu:
Click on
Click on
The VIP Business Intelligence Manager (Report Manager) screen will be displayed:
The Object window.
The Properties window.
An Object window displays on the left-hand side of the screen and a Properties window displays on
the right.
When the BIM Report Manager is accessed, the Home Object will initially be displayed on the lefthand side of this screen.
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Double-click on Home to view the list of folders that are available.

The following pre-defined folders will be displayed:
Equity,
Financial,
Leave,
Payroll Demonstration, and
Static.
Example:
Double-click on the relevant folder to view the Reports that are available in that folder, i.e. in the
Static folder, the following three Reports are available:
Employee Birthday List and Age Analysis,
Strength Report, and
Years of Service Listing.
Example:

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Layout of the Report Manager

As shown on the screens above, the Object window displays on the left-hand side of the screen and
the Properties window displays on the right. The Properties will display for whichever object has been
selected in the left-hand side window.
Numerous folders can be created within the Home Object. These folders should be created according
to the various Report Types that you might require, which will then allow you to group your Reports in
a logical manner. For example, you could have one folder for Wage Reports and one folder for Salary
Reports.
No sub-folders can be created.
To view the Reports that have been created within a folder, double-click on the relevant folder and
the Reports will be displayed.
Example:
Indicates a Report that does not contain Sub Reports, i.e. only 1 Report. This Report is
represented by a blue icon.
Indicates a Union Report, i.e. it contains Sub Reports. This Report is represented by a
green icon.
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Creating a New Folder

To create a new folder, right-click on the Home Object, and select Add Folder:
The Enter a name for the Folder window will be displayed:
Enter the name for the new folder, e.g. Non-financial Information, and click on
This folder will be added to the list of existing folders.

Example:

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Menu Options and Toolbar Buttons

To access options and/or to execute functions in the Report Manager, you can select to either make
use of the various Menu Options, or make use of the Toolbar Buttons at the top of the screen.
Menu Options
Menu Bar:
Highlight the relevant Report. Click on the required Menu Option, e.g. Report. A drop-down menu will
be displayed from where you may select the applicable option, e.g. Create and Link Template:
Shortcut Menu:
You can access specific options or execute certain functions in the Report Manager when you highlight
the required Report, e.g. Earnings Variance Report, and then right-click on the Report:
When you right-click on the Report, a drop-down

menu with numerous options will be displayed
from where you can make the required
selection, e.g. Create and Link Template.
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2007 Softline VIP
Toolbar Buttons:
You can access specific options or execute certain functions in the Report Manager when you highlight
the required Report and then click on the relevant button on the Toolbar at the top of the screen, e.g.
Create and Link Template:
The Menu Options and Toolbar Buttons that are often used in the VIP BIM Report Manager will be
discussed in this User Reference Guide.

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Running Standard Reports

The VIP BIM Module is supplied with standard, pre-defined Reports, in addition to the facility which
enables you to create your own Reports. Standard Reports already contain the required data
formatting in MS Excel, e.g. tables, charts, etc.
The Standard Reports are contained within the default folders that display when the Report Manager
is accessed.
All Report names that end in Demo, use Demo Payroll Data only.
The Report names that do not end in Demo, use Live Payroll Data from your current VIP company.
These are the Reports that you will use to view payroll data from your live VIP company. See VIP
BIM Live Demo Reports on page 19 for more information.
Examples of Demo and Live Reports:
Demo Reports use demo data only.
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Steps to follow to run a Standard Report:

1.
Double-click on the folder from where you want to run the Report, e.g. Static.
2.
Highlight (click on) the Report you want to run, e.g. Employee Birthday List and Age Analysis.
3.
Click on
4.
A Data Out Progress window will be displayed on the right-hand side of the screen:
5.
The Report data will be displayed in MS Excel.
OR
Right-click on the Report and select Run:

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Example:
You want to run the This Period vs Previous Period Standard Report in the Financial folder.
Solution:
1.
Double-click on the Financial folder.
2.
Highlight the Report you want to run, e.g. This Period vs Previous Period.
3.
Click on
4.
A Data Out Progress window will be displayed:
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5.
The Report data will be displayed in MS Excel:

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6.
32
Click on any of the worksheets, e.g. Nett, at the bottom of the workbook. The data on that
particular worksheet will then be displayed:

2007 Softline VIP
Chapter 3
Creating Reports
In this Chapter:
Creating a New Report
Report Properties
o Column Order
o Filters
o Parameters
o Sort Fields
o Aggregate Filters
Linking the MS Excel Workbook as a Report
Template
Copying Reports into other VIP Companies
Union Reports
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Creating a New Report

The following steps must be followed when creating a new Report in the VIP BIM Report Manager:
1.
Right-click on the folder in which the Report must be created and stored, e.g. Non-financial
Information:
Select Add Report.

2.
Enter the name of the Report, e.g. Personal Information, and click on
3.
Select the Data Container that will be used for this Report, e.g. All Data:
The All Data Data Container contains most of the fieds that you would require for
Payroll Reports, such as Earnings, Deductions, Company Contributions, etc., as well
as Fixed Employee Information. Individual Data Containers may also be selected, e.g.
Employee Masterfile, for selecting fields for Fixed Employee Information only.

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Do not select a Demo Data Container, e.g. Employee Masterfile (Demo), as you want
to create a new Report using Live Data!
Only one Data Container may be selected per Report.

Data Containers include all the tables of data that can be used to create a specific Report. For
example, the table containing Employee Fixed Information and the table containing Employee
Earnings would both be included in the Data Container that is used to create a Report with
the Employee Code, Employee Name and Earnings.
Data Containers are pre-defined in BIM and only those users that have access to the
VIP BIM Administrator Tool will be able to change existing Containers or add new
Containers.
4. Select (b tick) the fields within this Data Container that are required for this Report, e.g.
EmployeeAddress_1, EmployeeAddress_2, etc.
Use the Scroll Bar to access all the

required fields in the Data Container.
36
Click on
Click on
if you want to select all the fields in this Data Container.

2007 Softline VIP
Example:
You want to create a Fixed Salary Report in the Financial folder, with the following information
included in the Report:
Employee Code,
Employee Surname,
Employee Initials,
Department Code, and
Fixed Monthly Salary (Earning 1 in VIP).
Solution:
1. Right-click on the Financial folder:
Select Add Report.

2. Enter the name of the Report, e.g. Fixed Salary Report, and click on

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3. Select the applicable Data Container (e.g. All Data):
Click on
4. Select the applicable Column Fields:
Click on
The Report will be created in the Financial folder:
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5. Click on the created Report and enter a meaningful description for the Report in the
Description field, e.g. Fixed Salary per Employee per Department:
6. Click on the Columns tab. Your Report should look like this:
Click and drag the column fields

to change the column order.
If you need to add more fields in this Report, click on

the screen and follow the same steps as described above.
7. To run the Report, highlight the Report Name and click on
on the right-hand side of
8. The Data Out Progress window will be displayed:

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9. The Report data will be displayed in MS Excel.

Example:
The raw VIP data is always extracted to the first (left-most) sheet of the MS Excel workbook.
The data parameters (filters, etc.) are indicated on the second sheet, if the Parameters on
Second Sheet option is selected (b ticked) on the Report Properties. Therefore, all
manipulation of data must only be done from the third sheet onwards. Any formatting that is
done on the first and second sheet will be lost when the Report is run again, because the
refreshed VIP data will replace the data on those sheets.
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Report Properties
The Properties of a Report can be defined according to the Column Order, Filters, Parameters, Sort
Fields and Aggregate Filters.
Each of the Report Properties options will be discussed in this section.
When a Report is printed, it is useful to display the Properties of the Report as well, so that you can
refer to the types of selections that were made on the data when viewing it in MS Excel.
To display the Report Properties on sheet 2 of the MS Excel workbook, click on the relevant Report,
click on the Properties tab and tick the Parameters on Second Sheet option:
Example:

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Advanced Report Properties

field on the Properties
The Advanced Report Properties are accessed by clicking in the
tab of the Report. A few of these Advanced Properties are discussed in this section. Others are
discussed later.
Locking a Report
The Report Locked function hides the Properties of a Report so that no changes can be made to the
layout or other Properties of the Report. This is a useful function if you have created a Report, but do
not want other users to be able to make any changes.
A password must be entered when the Report is locked. This password will be required in order to
unlock the Report.
To lock a Report:
1.
42
Select (b tick) the Show Advanced Report Properties, from the Properties tab:

2007 Softline VIP
2.
Click in
3.
Click on
4.
Enter a password:
5.
Re-enter the password to confirm it.
6.
The Report Properties will then be hidden so that no changes can be made to the Report.
.
.
To unlock a Report:
1.
Highlight the Report you want to unlock.
2.
Right-click and select Unlock.
3.
Enter the password to unlock the Report:
4.
The Report Properties will be displayed.

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Hiding the Source Data in the Report

This field is used to hide the source data, i.e. all the raw data on sheet 1, when the data is extracted
to MS Excel. This should only be activated after the data has been formatted in MS Excel using Pivot
Tables and this layout has been linked as the Report template. Hiding the source data can be useful if
you want the user to view the formatted data in MS Excel but do not want them to view the raw data
from which it was created.
1.
Access the Advanced Report Properties, from the Properties tab.
2.
Click in
3.
When the Report is run, sheet 1 containing all the raw data will not be displayed.
For more information about Pivot Tables in MS Excel, see Pivot Tables from page 82 onwards.
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Report Properties Buttons

Apply Button
This button is displayed on the Properties tab of a Report:
To confirm any changes made to the Properties or Advanced Properties of a Report, click on
The following message will be displayed:
Click on
Add, Remove, Move Up and Move Down Buttons

These buttons are displayed on the Colums, Filters, Parameters, Sort Fields and Aggregate Filters tabs
of a Report:
When you click on the

button, new options may be added to the Column Order, Filters,
Parameters or Sort Fields of a Report.
To remove an option from the Column Order, Filters, Parameters or Sort Fields of a Report, you may
click on the relevant option and then click on
.
The order of the options on the Columns, Filters, Parameters or Sort Fields tabs of a Report can be
changed by using the
and
buttons.

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Adjusting the Column Order

After selecting the column fields for the Report, the columns will display in the order that they appear
on the column field list.
The column order can be changed by accessing the Columns tab on the Report Properties and clicking
and dragging the data fields into the required order. Alternatively, the
and
buttons
can be used. See the example below for more information.
Example:
You want to create a Nett Salary Report in the Static folder, with the following data included in the
Report, in this specific order:
Employee Code,
Employee Surname,
Department Code,
Nett Salary.
Solution:
1. Right-click on the Static folder and select Add Report.
2. Enter a name for the Report, e.g. Nett Salary:
3. Select the Data Container, e.g. All Data:
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2007 Softline VIP
4. Select the applicable Column Fields:
Click on
The created Report will be listed in the Static folder:
5. Click on the Columns tab and change the Column Order:
Click and drag the column fields into

the correct order. Alternatively, use
the
and
buttons on
the right-hand side of this screen.

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Filters
Filters apply selections to the Report so that only certain data is extracted, e.g. data for employees in
Cape Town (CT) Pay Point only. Filters may not be changed when the Report is run, i.e. at print-time.
Applying a Filter
Example:
You want to apply a Filter for the Nett Salary Report, selecting data for the ADM Department only.
Solution:
1. Click on the Nett Salary Report:
2. Click on the Filters tab:
3. Click on
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2007 Softline VIP
4. Select the field on which you want to filter, e.g. Dept for Department:
5. Select the Comparison Method, e.g. Equal To:
6. Enter or select the Comparison Value:

Click on
to activate the
Lookup list. Select ADM.
The detail of the Filter will be displayed:
When the Report is run, data for employees in the ADM Department only, will be extracted.

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Advanced Filter options on the Filters Properties window

Filters Properties window:
Example 1: Using the OR Logic

You want to create a Medical Aid Report in the Financial folder. This Report must show the
Employee Code, Department Code, Employee Medical Contribution and Company Medical
Contribution. The Report must only extract employees who have a Medical Aid Deduction and/or a
Medical Aid Company Contribution.
Solution:
2. Select the Data Container, e.g. All Data.
3. Select the applicable Column Fields.
In this example, Medical Aid is on line 3 in VIP. Therefore Ded_3 and CC_3 will be selected
for the Medical Aid Deduction and Company Contribution fields respectively.
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4. Adjust the Column Order:
5. Add the Filters:

Click on the Filters tab and click on

.
Select the field on which you want to filter, e.g. CC_3 for the Medical Aid Company
Contribution on line 3:
Select the Comparison Method, e.g. Greater Than:
Enter the Comparison Value, e.g. 0:
Add the same type of selection for the employees Medical Aid Contribution, e.g.
Ded_3 for the Medical Aid Deduction on line 3.

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The Report must only extract employees who have a Medical Aid Deduction and/or a Medical Aid
Company Contribution. You will therefore have to activate the OR Logic Option.
6. Activate the OR Logic:
Right click on the second filter (Ded_3), and select Properties:
The Properties window will be displayed.

Tick the Use OR Logic option on the Properties window:
The OR Logic will be indicated:
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The filter will now select any employees whose Medical Aid Company Contribution OR
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2007 Softline VIP
To extract data for current employees only, a filter must be included to select employees whose
Employee Status is Normal or whose Employee Status in the previous period was Normal (i.e.
including current terminations). These field names in VIP BIM are EmployeeStatus and
EmployeeStatus_Previous.
Brackets must be inserted before and after these two fields so that your selection is clarified if further
filters or parameters are entered. If no additional filters or parameters are entered, it is not necessary
to insert the brackets. For more information, see the example below.
Example 2: Using Prefix and Suffix with Logic Break

You want to create a Fixed Information Report in the Static folder. This Report must show the
Employee Code, Surname, Known As Name, Date Engaged, Department Code and ID Number.
Only data for the current employees must be extracted.
Solution:
2. Select the Data Container, e.g. All Data.
3. Select the applicable Column Fields and adjust the Column Order:
4. Insert the Filters and apply the OR Logic:
See Example 1 above for the steps to follow when applying the OR Logic.

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5. Insert a prefix ( bracket before the first filter field.

Right-click on the first filter field where the bracket must be inserted, and select Properties.
The Properties window will be displayed:
Select (b tick) the Prefix with Logic Break option.

6. Insert a suffix ) bracket after the second filter field.
Right-click on the second filter field where the bracket must be inserted, and select Properties.
Select (b tick) the Suffix with Logic Break option.
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Example 3:
Changing the Properties of the Fixed Salary Report to only include data for employees in the
Administration Department (ADM), whose salaries are between R5 000.00 and R10 000.00 per month.
Solution:
1. Click on the Fixed Salary Report in the Financial folder and click on the Filters tab:
2. Add the Filters:

For Employees in the ADM Department only:
Select the field on which you want to filter, e.g. Dept for Department:

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Select the Comparison Method, e.g. Equal To:
Enter the Comparison Value, e.g. ADM:
For salaries between R5 000.00 and R10 000.00 per month:

Two separate filters have to be entered.
Salaries Greater than R5000.00:

Select the field on which you want to filter, e.g. EarnFixed_1:
Select the Comparison Method, e.g. Greater Than:
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Salaries Less Than or Equal To R10 000.00:

Select the field on which you want to filter, e.g. EarnFixed_1:
Select the Comparison Method, e.g. Less Than Or Equal To:
The Filters will be displayed:
3. Brackets must be inserted before and after the EarnFixed_1 selections so that the selection is
clear.

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Inserting the prefix ( bracket:

Right-click on the field where the bracket must be inserted, and select Properties:
Inserting the suffix ) bracket:

Right-click on the field where the bracket must be inserted, and select Properties:
The Brackets will be added to the Filter:
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Parameters
Parameters are selections that are applied to a Report, but are different from Filters because of the
fact that Parameters can be changed each time a Report is run.
Example:
You want to insert a Parameter in the Fixed Information Report, so that a different Department may
be selected each time the Report is run.
Solution:
1. Click on the Fixed Information Report in the Static folder:
2. Click on the Parameters tab:
3. Click on
4. Select the field for which you want to filter, e.g. Dept for Department:

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5. Select the Comparison Method, e.g. Equal To:
6. Select any option as the default parameter, as this option may be changed every time the
Report is run:
7. When the Report is run, the Enter Report Parameters window will appear:
Click on
to view the
Lookup List and make
your selection.
If a Parameter and a Filter are both entered in a Report, all the specified selections will be
used when extracting data. The one selection does not overwrite the other.
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Comparison Methods used in Filters and Parameters

The following Comparison Methods are available for selection when applying Filters or Parameters in a
Report:
The most commonly used comparison methods will be discussed in this section.
The Begins With Comparison Method

The Begins With comparison method allows you to define selection criteria for a specific data field
according to the first character only.
Example:
You want to insert a Parameter for the Fixed Information Report, in the Static folder, so that you can
select Known As Names that begin with a different letter of the alphabet each time the Report is
run. You want to run the Report for employees whose Known As Names begin with P.
Solution:
1. Click on the Fixed Information Report in the Static folder.
2. Click on the Parameters tab and click on
3. Select the field for which you want to filter, e.g. KnownAsName:

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4. Select the Comparison Method, e.g. Begins With:
5. Enter the default Parameter, e.g. P:
6. When you run this Report you will either be able to accept this default parameter, or change
it:
7. In MS Excel, only employees whose Known As Names begin with P will be extracted:
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The Is In Comparison Method

The Is In comparison method allows you to select from a pre-defined list of options when the Report
is run. More than one criterion can be selected. For example, you will be able to select for all
employees in the Admin, HR and Sales Departments, not only just one Department.
Example:
You want to insert a new Parameter for the Fixed Information Report, in the Static folder, so that you
can select which Pay Points must be extracted when the Report is run (i.e. one or more Pay Point).
You want to run the report for employees in the Durban (DBN) and Cape Town (CT) Pay Points.
Solution:
2. If there is a current Parameter, delete it first. To delete the current Parameter, click on the
Parameter and select Remove. The Parameter will be deleted.
3. Select the field for which you want to filter, e.g. Pay Point.
4. Select the Comparison Method, e.g. Is In:
5. Insert a default Parameter, or leave the field blank:

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6. When you run this Report you will be able to select the Pay Point(s) that must be extracted.
7. You can either enter the codes to print, for example:
or
You can click on
example:
to view the list from which to choose, and tick the required options, for
8. In MS Excel, only employees in the selected Pay Points will be extracted:
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The Is Like Comparison Method

The Is Like comparison method allows a variable selection to be entered for the Report, where the
VIP data is matched according to the defined guideline. Variables that can be used for this selection
are:
%
- indicates more than one character
_
- indicates a single character
For example, if a Parameter is entered for the Surname field:
L%G
will match data that begins with L and ends with G. The number of characters in between
will not affect the selection.
A_M_ will match data that contains a first character of A, a third character of M, and which is not
longer than four characters in total.
Example:
You want to insert a Parameter for the Fixed Information Report which selects Surnames beginning
with M and ending with A.
Solution:
2. If there is a current Parameter, delete it first. To delete the current Parameter, click on the
Parameter and select Remove. The Parameter will be deleted.
3. Select the field for which you want to filter, e.g. Surname.
4. Select the Comparison Method, e.g. Is Like:

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5. Enter the default parameter, e.g. M%A:
6. M%A will extract only those employees whose surnames begin with M and end with A:
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Sort Fields
The Sort Fields option specifies in what order the data must be returned in MS Excel.
Example:
You want to sort the Medical Aid Report, in alphabetical order, according to the Surname & Initials.
Solution:
1. Click on the Medical Aid Report in the Financial folder:
2. Click on the Sort Fields tab:
3. Click on

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4. Select the field for which you want to filter, e.g. Surname & Initials:
5. The Sort Fields will be displayed:
The upwards arrow next to Surname & Initials, indicates that it will be displayed in ascending
order. If you want it to be displayed in descending order, click on the
button on the
right-hand side of the screen, and the arrow will point downwards.
6. Result in MS Excel:
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Aggregate Filters
An Aggregate Filter enables you to refine or limit the rows of data that will be displayed in the Report
based on aggregation criteria. Aggregate filters will not be used for detailed reports that print
information per employee, but rather for company or department totals, etc.
Example:
A summary of commission per department, only including those departments that have a total
commission of more than R30 000.00:
Create a new Report, named Commission, and select Department Code and the Earning Line
for Commission from the relevant Data Container.
Click on the Columns tab, right-click on the Earning amount and select Properties, for the
Properties window to be displayed.
Add the Aggregate function Sum, as illustrated below:
This will then return the data to MS Excel in a summary format per department.
To select only those departments that have a total commission of more than R30 000.00, an
Aggregate Filter must be added:
Click on the Aggregate Filters tab, then click on Add.
Enter the required selection (in the same way that a normal Filter is added).
Make sure that the Aggregate Function is set to Sum.
This Aggregate Filter will ensure that the Report will only display the total commission per department
for those departments whose total commission is greater than R30000.00.

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Linking the MS Excel Workbook as a Report Template

Every Report that is created (except for Union sub-reports) can be linked to a Report Template. The
Report Template is modelled in an MS Excel workbook and is saved as a .XLT document. This
template ensures that every time the Report is run from BIM, the Report will keep the same
formatting that has been set up in the linked template, but the data in the Report will be refreshed
with the latest VIP data at the time the Report is run.
To link an MS Excel workbook as a Report Template, the data in the workbook must be formatted
using Pivot Tables. For more information regarding the Pivot Table function, see Chapter 4.
Steps to link the MS Excel workbook as a Report Template:
1.
Run the required Report and apply the necessary formatting in the MS Excel workbook.
The data must be formatted using Pivot Tables.
2.
Minimise the MS Excel workbook.

Report Manager will automatically be displayed.
3.
Right-click on the Report that was run is step 1.

Select Create and Link Template.
4.
Select the minimised MS Excel Workbook.
5.
Specify a name for the template. You can accept the default name, which will be the same as
the Report name.
Any formatting of data that you want to save within the template must be inserted from sheet
3 onwards as a Pivot Table. Sheet 1 and 2 must always be reserved for the raw VIP data and
the Report Parameters respectively.
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Copying Reports into other VIP Companies

If you need to make a Report available for other VIP companies, the Report must first be exported
from the company where it was created, e.g. company 01, and then imported into the other
company, e.g. company 02.
The copied Report will retain the same Field Selections and Properties as the original Report, but will
extract the data of the company from where it is run.
Example:
You want to use the Fixed Information Report in company 02 as well.
Solution:
You will have to export the Report from company 01 so that is can be imported for company 02.
Steps to follow when copying a Report from one VIP company to another:
1. Access the Report Manager via company 01.
2. Double-click on the relevant folder, e.g. Static.
3. Right-click on the Report you want to copy, e.g. Fixed Information, and select Export
Report:
4. A Progress Bar will be displayed.

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5. Save the Report:
6. The following message will be displayed:
Click on
7. Exit the Report Manager in company 01 and access it again from company 02.
8. Highlight the Home Object.
Select Tools and Import Report:
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9. Select the Report to import and click on
10. The Import Report window will be displayed:
Select VIP Payroll (Auto Connect) as the

Target Connection.
Select the relevant Folder Name, e.g. Static,
as the Report Destination.
Click on
11. A Progress Bar will be displayed.

12. Select Yes for the following message:
13. The copied Report will be displayed in the Static folder for company 02.

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Union Reports
A Union Report consists of two or more Sub Reports.
Each Sub Report extracts data from a different Data Container. Sub Reports must first be created as
individual Reports before they are allocated to a Union Report.
In VIP BIM, Union Reports are mainly used to extract the long descriptions for Department, Pay Point,
Job Grade, Category and Job Title Codes.
The data required for the final Report is extracted to sheet 1 of the MS Excel workbook and the
descriptions for Department, Pay Point, etc. are extracted to sheet 3. The description field on sheet 1
will automatically search and match the corresponding description on sheet 3.
To create Pivot Tables, the raw data on sheet 1 is still used as the data range. For more information
regarding the Pivot Table function, see Chapter 4.
A Sub Report is defined in the same way that a Non-Union Report is defined, but may not be
linked to a Report Template.
Only the Union Report may be linked to a Report Template.
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Example:
You want to create an Overtime per Category Union Report, in the Financial folder, which
displays the overtime amounts per employee as well as the total overtime per category. Full category
descriptions must be displayed.
Solution:
1. Sub Report 1: Overtime per Category Sub
Enter the name of the Report:
Select the applicable Data Container, e.g. All Data:
Columns Required:
Category Code
Category Description
Employee Code
Overtime 1.5 (Earning 3)
Overtime 2.0 (Earning 4)

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2. Sub Report 2: AllShortDescr Sub

Enter the name of the Report:
Select the applicable Data Container, e.g. AllShortDesc:
Columns Required: All Fields from this Data Container:
The Reports will be displayed as normal Reports in the Financial folder:
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3. Union Report: Overtime per Category

Right-click on the Financial folder and select Add Union Report:
Enter the name of the Union Report, e.g. Overtime per Category:
Select the Sub Reports to include in the Union Report:
Click on
The Overtime per Category Union Report ( ) will now be displayed in the Financial folder.
Double-click on this Report to display the Sub Reports included in this Union Report:

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4. The AllShortDesc Sub Report must always be extracted to sheet 3 of the MS Excel
workbook.
Right-click on the AllShortDesc Sub Report and select Properties:
Change the Output Sheet Number to 3.
5. Hide the original Sub Reports.

On the Properties of each Sub Report, select the
field.
Click on
.
field and then select the
To unhide all Reports, highlight the VIP BIM Home Object, click on Tools and then Show
Hidden Reports. To hide them again, highlight the VIP BIM Home Object, click on Tools
and then Do Not Show Hidden Reports.
6. Run this Report and apply the necessary formatting in the MS Excel workbook.
The data can be formatted using Pivot Tables.
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Chapter 4
Manipulating the
data in MS Excel
Pivot Tables
In this Chapter:
Manipulating data in MS Excel
Pivot Tables
o Pivot Table Wizard and Quick Pivot
o Creating Pivot Tables
o VIP Field Aliasing
o Creating Charts from Pivot Tables
o Hide Pivot Data Field Columns Add-in Function
Assign a Password to a Workbook

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Manipulating Data in MS Excel

Once the VIP data has been extracted to an MS Excel workbook, the data can be manipulated in
various ways, so that it is displayed in a format that is easy to interpret.
If you want to arrange data in a format that you are not necessarily going to use the next
time you run a Report, i.e. you do not need to save the data layout, then it is sufficient to
apply any standard MS Excel functions to the data. This data layout will clear when the Report
is run again.
If you want to arrange the data in a format that you are going to use every time the Report is run,
then you will have to make use of Pivot Tables, so that the layout and formatting of the data is saved.
The data layout will then not clear the next time the Report is run.
Reports that are created can be linked to a Report Template. The Report Template is modelled in an
MS Excel workbook and is saved as a .XLT document. This template ensures that every time the
Report is run from VIP BIM, the Report will keep the same formatting that has been set up in the
linked template, but the data in the Report will be refreshed with the latest VIP data at the time the
Report is run.
To link an MS Excel workbook as a Report Template, the data in the workbook must be
formatted using Pivot Tables.
Any formatting of data that you want to save within the template must be inserted from sheet 3
onwards as a Pivot Table. Sheet 1 and 2 must always be reserved for the raw VIP data and the Report
Parameters respectively. The layout and formatting of the data on sheet 1 and 2 will be cleared,
refreshed and updated with the latest VIP data every time the Report is run. This updated information
on sheet 1 will be applied to sheet 3 onwards in the format and layout that has been saved in the
Pivot Table.
See Linking the MS Excel Workbook as a Report Template on page 70 for the steps to follow when
linking an MS Excel workbook as a Report Template.
Please note that the only MS Excel function that will be discussed in this User Reference Guide
is Pivot Tables as this is the function used for Report Templates in VIP BIM.

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Pivot Tables
Pivot Table Reports is an MS Excel automated function that allows you to organise and summarise
your data into a table format that makes sense and is easy to understand.
It is advisable to use Pivot Tables in a workbook when you want to make use of the same layout and
format of data each time the Report is run. To ensure that the same Pivot Table layout is always used
for a particular Report, the workbook containing the required Pivot Table must be linked to the Report
as a Report Template.
To create a Pivot Table Report, you can either make use of the Pivot Table Wizard or the Quick
Pivot option:
The Pivot Table Wizard

1.
Click anywhere in the data range (the raw data extracted from VIP BIM, will always be
displayed on sheet 1 of the MS Excel workbook).
2.
Select Data, then Pivot Table and Pivot Table Report.
3.
Ensure that the Pivot Table Radio button is ticked, and click on
4.
Your data range will be outlined on the worksheet. Confirm the range and click on
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5.
Click on
6.
Define the layout of the Pivot Table, by clicking and dragging the data field buttons on the
right-hand side to the required position on the table:
Fields on this screen:

Option
Description
ROW
Allocate a data field to this section, if you require a separate row of data for
this field.
COLUMN
Allocate a data field to this section, if you require a separate column of data
for this field.
DATA
Allocate a data field to this section if a count or a calculation, e.g. sum, must
be applied to this field.
PAGE
Allocate a data field to this section if you require a separate page of

information for this field.

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7.
Click on
8.
The Pivot Table will be displayed on a new worksheet, e.g. sheet 3.
9.
To make changes to the table layout, right-click anywhere on your Pivot Table and select
Pivot Table Wizard.
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Quick Pivot
1.
Click anywhere in the data range (the raw data extracted from VIP BIM, will always be
displayed on sheet 1 of the MS Excel workbook).
2.
Select Report Tools, and Quick Pivot.
3.
Complete the Quick Pivot Wizard:

On the Options tab, allocate the fields
to the Row, Column, Page or Data
Fields, by highlighting the required
field and clicking on the >> of the
field area you want to move it to.
The Pivot Table location will default to

a New Sheet in the workbook, but
can be changed if required.

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On the Format tab, change the

settings for the Pivot Table, if required.
4.
86
Click on
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2007 Softline VIP
General Pivot Table Information

Changing the Layout of a Pivot Table
Once a Pivot Table has been created, the fields can be rearranged to give an entirely different view of
the data. A shaded cell in the Pivot Table represents each field in the list and this field can be dragged
to other areas in the Pivot Table.
If you do not want to make the changes on-screen, changes to the layout can also be made by using
the Pivot Table Wizard.

To access the Wizard, right-click in any cell within the Pivot Table, select Pivot Table
Wizard and click on Layout. You can then click and drag the fields to their required
positions.
To change the function that is used for a particular data field, use the Field Setting button (
Pivot Table Toolbar.
) on the
To view the Pivot Table Toolbar, click on View, Toolbars, Pivot Table Toolbar.
Alternatively, right-click on the relevant data field, and select Field Settings.
The following window will then display, where you can select the function to use for that data field:
The field can also be formatted by clicking on the

the
field and columns can be hidden by using
button.

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Formulas in a Pivot Table

Calculated fields can be added to the Pivot Table. These fields can be used to calculate a value with a
formula using the existing fields in the Pivot Table. The calculated field will then become a field in the
Pivot Table which can be moved and customised like any other of the Pivot Table fields.
To add a calculated field:
Click on the Pivot Table Menu on the Pivot Table Toolbar and select Formulas, then
Calculated Field.
Insert a Name for the field and a Formula:
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Creating Pivot Tables

Creating a Pivot Table making use of the Pivot Table Wizard
Example:
You want to create a Bonus Report in the Financial folder which gives a breakdown of Annual Bonus
and Incentive Bonus per Employee per Department.
Data to include in this Report:
Department Code
Employee Code
Annual Bonus (Earning 9)
Incentive Bonus (Earning 7)
In MS Excel, a Pivot Table must be created which totals the Annual Bonus and Incentive Bonus, per
Employee, per Department.
A field must be inserted in the Pivot Table to display the Total of the Bonus Amounts.
This Report must be linked to a Report Template.
Solution:
1. Create the Report in the Report Manager:

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2. Run the Report:
3. Create the Pivot Table:

Click on Data:
Select Pivot Table and Pivot Chart Report.
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2007 Softline VIP
Step 1 of 3 of the Pivot Table Wizard will be displayed:
Click on
Click on
Click on

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92
The Pivot Table Layout window will be displayed:
Define the layout of the Pivot Table, by clicking and dragging the data field buttons
on the right-hand side to the required position on the table:
Click on

2007 Softline VIP
Click on
The Pivot Table will be created on a new sheet, in this example, sheet 4:
This new sheet will be inserted before sheet 1. Click and drag this sheet, so that it is
positioned as the last sheet in the workbook:
on Step 3 of 3 of the Pivot Table Wizard:

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Click on the Data field at the top of this worksheet and drag it to the next column.
This will result in the two Bonus columns (i.e. Sum of Earnings 9 and Sum of Earnings
7) displaying next to one another in the worksheet:
Insert a field in the Pivot Table which calculates the Total of the Annual
Bonus and Incentive Bonus columns:
Click in any cell in the Data area of the Pivot Table.
Click on Insert.
Select Calculated Field:
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The Insert Calculated Field window will be displayed:

Enter a Name for the new
field, e.g. Total Bonus.
Enter the Formula by
selecting the field that you
want to use and clicking on
Insert Field.
Operators that can be used
are, +, -, / (divide) and *
(multiply).
Numerical values can also
be used in the calculation.
The formula must always
begin with =.
The Total Bonus column will be inserted in the worksheet and will be included in the
Pivot Table Field List:

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4. Linking the Report to a Report Template:
96
Make sure that your Pivot Table is not on sheet 1 or 2 of the workbook.
Minimise the workbook that you have been working on.
In the Report Manager, right-click on the Bonus Report and select Create and Link
Template:
Highlight the name of the workbook that you have minimised:
Select Yes for the following message:

2007 Softline VIP
Accept the default Template Name (it will default to the name of the Report in BIM),
and click on
:
If the Template was created and linked correctly, the following message will be
displayed. Click on
:
The Report Template is indicated on the Properties tab of this Report:

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VIP Field Aliasing

Applying VIP Field Aliasing is a function that can only be used with Pivot Tables. This option
translates the VIP BIM field name that displays in the Properties of the Report, e.g. Earning_9, with
the name that is used for that field in your VIP company. Therefore, if Earning_9 is Annual Bonus in
VIP, then the description for that field in the Pivot Table will display as Annual Bonus.
VIP Field Aliasing also allows you to insert fields into the Pivot Table that automatically update
according to the data in the VIP company. For example, a field can be entered for <Period End Date>
which will display the period end date of the VIP company from where the data was extracted.
VIP Field Aliasing will not be applied the first time that you create the Pivot Table. Once the Report in
VIP BIM has been linked to a Report Template that contains a Pivot Table, the Field Aliasing will be
applied the next time that the Report is run.
To activate VIP Field Aliasing:
1.
Click on the relevant Report, and click on the Properties tab.
2.
Select (b tick) the Show Advanced field.
3.
Select (b tick) the Apply VIP Field Aliasing to Pivot Tables field.
Example 1: Displaying the names of the data fields as they display in VIP
You want to apply VIP Field Aliasing to the Bonus Report that was created in the example on page 89,
so that the names of the data fields as they display in VIP, e.g. Annual Bonus and Incentive Bonus
display in the Pivot Table, rather than the desriptions Earnings_9 and Earnings_7:
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Solution:
1. Click in
at the bottom of the Properties tab.
2. Click in
3. Click on
4. Untick the Show Advanced field.
5. When the Report is run again from BIM, the Pivot Table will now display the names of the
data fields as they display in VIP, e.g. Annual Bonus and Incentive Bonus:

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Example 2: Updating data automatically according to the data in the VIP company
You want to insert a Heading for this Report, as well as the name of the VIP company and the Period
End Date, above the Pivot Table. The Period End Date must automatically update each time the
Report is run.
Solution:
Insert 5 rows above the Pivot Table.
In row 1, enter the name of the Report, e.g. Bonus per Department.
To enter the name of the company and the period end date, click in the cell where the
description must display and enter (type in) the field name in the Formula bar, according to the
list below:
Enter the field name in the Formula bar.
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Re-link the Report to a new Report Template.

If you want to replace the original template, accept the default Template Name.
If you do not want to replace the original template (e.g. if other Reports also use this
template, and these changes must not affect them), enter a new name for the template.
If you want to overwrite the existing template, select Yes for the following message:
If you still need to use the original template for other Reports, select No for the message and
then start the Create and Link Template process again but change the template name
when prompted to do so.
Once a Report has been linked to the Report Template, each time the Report is run, it is
opened under a different workbook name, e.g. the Bonus Report will open as Bonus 1 in MS
Excel. This is so that you do not overwrite saved workbooks from previous periods that use
the same data.
If you want to overwrite the original workbook, then you can save the workbook again, using
the original name and select to overwrite it.
It is sometimes necessary that a Report Template must be changed, for example, when a new
table or chart is added. If your Report must use this new template in future, the Report must
be re-linked to the new template. If other Reports are also linked to this template, and you do
not want those Reports to use the new layout, you must change the name of the template
when it is linked. If you use the same name as the original template, then the original layout
will be overwritten by the changed layout, which will then affect all the other Reports that are
linked to that template.

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Creating Charts from Pivot Tables

Charts may be created from your Pivot Tables to present your data in a graphical format.
Numerous options exist when creating charts in MS Excel. Only a view of these options will be
discussed in this User Reference Guide for illustrating the basic principle of creating charts
from Pivot Tables.
Example:
Creating charts from Pivot Tables in the Bonus Report.
Solution:
Create another Pivot Table from sheet 1 for the Bonus Report which totals the Annual Bonus and
Incentive Bonus, per Department only.
Pivot Table Layout:
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Pivot Table on sheet 5:
Re-link the Report to a new Report Template. Accept the default Template Name. Run the Report
again.
The VIP Field Aliasing will be applied to this Pivot Table as well:

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Right-click on any field within the Pivot Table, then select PivotChart:
A Standard Chart will be displayed on a separate worksheet, e.g. Chart 1:
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Saving the Chart to another Worksheet

To save the chart as part of another worksheet, e.g. Sheet 5, right-click on the chart and select
Location:
The Chart Location window will be displayed:
Click on the drop-down arrow for the As object in: Combo box, and select the sheet where the chart
must be saved, e.g. Sheet 5:

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The chart will be displayed on Sheet 5:
Click and drag the chart to

the required position within
the worksheet.
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Inserting a Chart Title

Right-click in the chart area of the chart and select Chart Options:
The Chart Options window will be displayed:

Enter a title for the chart in the Chart title Entry field, e.g.
Bonus per Department.
Enter a description for the X axis, e.g. Department, and for the
Y axis, e.g. Amount.

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The new chart title as well as descriptions for the x and y axises will be displayed:
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Removing Pivot Chart Field buttons

Right-click on any of the Field buttons and select Hide Pivot Chart Field Buttons:
The Field buttons will be hidden:

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Changing the Chart Layout

To change the layout of the chart, right-click on the chart and select Chart Type:
The Chart Type window will be displayed:
Make your selection, e.g. Pie.
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The selected chart will be displayed on the worksheet:

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Inserting Chart Labels

To insert percentages and/or values in charts, right-click in the chart area of the chart and select
Chart Options:
The Chart Options window will be displayed:
Click on the Data Labels tab. Select (b tick) the relevant option in the Lable Contains field, e.g.
Percentage.
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The percentages will be applied and will be displayed on the chart:

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Formatting the Chart Area

To format the area within a chart, right-click in the chart area of the chart and select Format Chart
Area:
The Format Chart Area window will be displayed:
Make the necessary changes to the Chart Area by selecting the applicable options in the Border and
Area fields.
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Hide Pivot Data Field Columns Add-in Function

The Hide Pivot Data Field Columns Add-in function is very useful when you are creating generic
Reports that you want to use in more than one company. In VIP BIM this function is used to hide any
fields in a Pivot Table that are undefined. For example, a VIP company can have up to 36 Earning,
Deduction and Company Contribution fields in the Essentials and Classic Systems, and up to 72 of
these fields in the Premier System. In practice however, it is very common that not all of these lines
are actually used.
Therefore, if you want to create a generic Report that displays all the Earnings, Deductions and
Company Contributions you will be able to select all 36 (or 72) Earning, Deduction and Company
Contribution lines (even though you might not use all of them), and the Pivot Table will automatically
hide any lines that are not defined if you use this function. This also means that the Report will not
have to be modified each time a new Earning, Deduction or Company Contribution line is defined,
because the Report will already be set up to include all the fields.
VIP Field Aliasing must be activated in order for the Hide Pivot Data Field Columns
Add-In function to work correctly.
Activating the Hide Pivot Data Field Columns Add-in function:

Activate the
field on the Report Properties.
Click on
Select Specify a New Add-In Function:
next to the Run Add-Ins field.

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Make the following selections:
Enter the Add-In Function:
Type ALL in the following fields:

A list of Work Sheets
Al list of Pivot Tables
Type in the Pattern string to check for Field

Names as:
*_?. (For VIP Premier, it will be *_??)
Select Yes for the following fields:

Forces all Columns in the Data Body
Range

Foces the Add-In to continue if errors
occur
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The Add-In function will be displayed:
Activate the
Click on
field.
.

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Assign a Password to a Workbook

To allow only authorised users to view or modify your data, you can help secure your entire MS Excel
workbook file with a password.
MS Excel passwords can be up to 255 letters, numbers, spaces, and symbols. You must type
uppercase and lowercase letters correctly when you set up and enter passwords.
Steps to follow to assign a password to a workbook:

1.
2.
Save the MS Excel workbook.

On the File menu, click Save As.
On the Tools menu, click Options and then click on the Security tab.
If you want users to enter a password before they can view the workbook, type a
password in the Password to open box.
If you want users to enter a password before they can save changes to the workbook,
type a password in the Password to modify box.
Example:
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3.
When prompted, retype your passwords to confirm them.

After assigning a password to a workbook, when a user tries to access such a workbook,
he/she will be prompted to enter the required password(s):
If a Password to modify has also been entered, the user will be given the option to enter
the modification password or to open the file as
:

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Chapter 5
General
Information
In this Chapter:
Access Control
Backup for VIP BIM

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Access Control
To ensure the confidentiality of VIP Report data, an access level must be assigned to each customised
Report. VIP users will only be able to print Reports if the users assigned access level is equal to or
higher than the level that is assigned to the Report. Five levels of access are available, where Level 5
is the highest and Level 1 is the lowest.
Those standard Reports that are included in the VIP BIM Module have pre-defined access levels. All
VIP users will be able to print the standard Reports that make use of demo data, because they are for
demonstration purposes only. The standard Reports that make use of live VIP data, will only be able
to be printed by those VIP users who have Level 5 access to the 1st Reports Menu (1 100).
Assigning Access Levels to Reports

Steps to follow when assigning Access Levels to Reports:
1.
Click on the relevant Report, then click on the Properties tab.
2.
Select (b tick) the Show Advanced option.
3.
Click on the drop-down arrow for the User Access Level required to Run Report Combo
box and select the applicable access level, e.g. Level 5:
4.
Click on
5.
Un-tick the Show Advance option, to return to the normal Properties view.

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Assigning Access Levels to Employees

In VIP two options exist for assigning Access Levels to Employees, namely:
Basic Access Control, and
Advanced Access Control.
The Advanced Access Control option is ideal when you have more than one Operator and each
Operator is restricted to specified areas within the VIP system.
See the section Access Control in the VIP Premier, VIP Classic or VIP Essentials User
Manuals for detailed information about Basic and Advanced Access Control, Access Rights
and Password Control in VIP.
Advanced Access Control

Accessing Advanced Access Control from the Main Menu:
Click on
Company
Click on
Access Control
Click on
Advanced Access Control and select the applicable user
Click on
the Advanced Page2 Index tab
The following screen will be displayed:
Access level to VIP BIM Reports is

specified in the Report Print Level
(1st 100) field.
To enable the user to

to existing Reports,
Reports, the access
Report Maintenance
must be Full.
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2007 Softline VIP
make changes
or add new
type for the
(1st 100) field
Basic Access Control

Accessing Basic Access Control from the Main Menu:
Click on
Company
Click on
Access Control
Click on
Basic Access Control
The following screen will be displayed:
Access level to VIP BIM

Reports is specified in the
Reports - Print up to Level
field.

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Backup for VIP BIM

The Backup options in VIP only back up the VIP data and/or program files. They do not back up the
BIM sub-folders, within the VIP directory, which contain the BIM Reports and Templates. A separate
Backup must be made of these folders, by manually copying them to a CD, stiffy disk, or any other
Backup medium that you make use of.
A separate folder for each company, containing all the Reports for those specific companies are
created within the VIP directory, e.g. BIM01 for company 01, BIM02 for company 02, etc.
All of these BIM folders must be manually backed up.
Standard Backup options in VIP:
These Backup options

only back up VIP data
and/or program files.
They do not back up
the customised VIP
BIM Reports for that
company.
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2007 Softline VIP
The BIM folders that are created for each company within your VIP directory must be manually
backed up, for example they can be saved onto a CD:
Contact the VIP Call Centre or your VIP Consultant for assistance with making a Backup.

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127
Index
A
Access Control ...........................................................................................................................123
Accessing the VIP BIM Menu.........................................................................................................16
Accessing the VIP System .............................................................................................................14
Activating the VIP BIM Live Demo Reports option...........................................................................19
Add, Remove, Move Up and Move Down Buttons ...........................................................................45
Adjusting the Column Order ..........................................................................................................46
Advanced Access Control ............................................................................................................124
Advanced Filter options.................................................................................................................50
Advanced Report Properties ..........................................................................................................42
Aggregate Filters ..........................................................................................................................69
All Data Data Container ................................................................................................................35
Apply Button ................................................................................................................................45
Apply VIP Field Aliasing ................................................................................................................98
Applying a Filter ...........................................................................................................................48
Assign a Password to a Workbook ...............................................................................................118
Assigning Access Levels to Employees .........................................................................................124
Assigning Access Levels to Reports..............................................................................................123
B
Backup for VIP BIM ....................................................................................................................126
Basic Access Control ...................................................................................................................125
Begins With Comparison Method..................................................................................................61
BIM Administrator Tool .................................................................................................................17
BIM Community ...........................................................................................................................17
BIM Demo Reports ................................................................................................................. 17, 18
BIM Live Demo Reports .......................................................................................................... 17, 19
BIM Report Manager............................................................................................................... 17, 22
Buttons......................................................................................................................................... 9
C
Changing the Chart Layout .........................................................................................................110
Changing the Layout of a Pivot Table ............................................................................................87
Chart Area .................................................................................................................................114
Chart Field buttons .....................................................................................................................109
Chart Labels...............................................................................................................................112
Chart Location............................................................................................................................105
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Chart Options.............................................................................................................................107
Chart Title..................................................................................................................................107
Column in Pivot Table ...................................................................................................................83
Column Fields ..............................................................................................................................38
Columns Tab................................................................................................................................46
Combo Box ..................................................................................................................................10
Company Miscellaneous screen .....................................................................................................20
Comparison Method................................................................................................................ 49, 51
Comparison Methods used in Filters and Parameters ......................................................................61
Comparison Value .................................................................................................................. 49, 51
Contact Details.............................................................................................................................. 5
Conventions .................................................................................................................................. 6
Copying Reports into other VIP Companies ....................................................................................71
Create and Link Template .............................................................................................................70
Creating a New Folder ..................................................................................................................25
Creating a New Report .................................................................................................................35
Creating Charts from Pivot Tables ...............................................................................................102
Creating Pivot Tables....................................................................................................................89
D
Data in Pivot Table .......................................................................................................................83
Data Container ................................................................................................................. 35, 36, 38
Data Out Progress window............................................................................................................29
Demo Data ..................................................................................................................................18
Demo Payroll Data........................................................................................................................28
E
Enter Report Parameters...............................................................................................................60
Entry Field .................................................................................................................................... 9
Exit .............................................................................................................................................10
Export Report...............................................................................................................................71
F
Filters ..........................................................................................................................................48
Folders ....................................................................................................................................7, 24
Formulas in a Pivot Table..............................................................................................................88
G
General Pivot Table Information ....................................................................................................87

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129
H
Hidden Reports ............................................................................................................................78
Hide Pivot Data Field Columns Add-in Function ............................................................................115
Hiding the Source Data in the Report.............................................................................................44
Home Object................................................................................................................................22
I
Import Report ..............................................................................................................................72
Initial Entry screen .......................................................................................................................14
Inserting the prefix ( bracket .......................................................................................................58
Inserting the suffix ) bracket .......................................................................................................58
Installing the VIP BIM Module .......................................................................................................13
Introduction to VIP BIM ................................................................................................................. 3
Is In Comparison Method ............................................................................................................63
Is Like Comparison Method..........................................................................................................65
L
Layout of the Report Manager.......................................................................................................24
Licenced Module screen ................................................................................................................13
Linking the Report to a Report Template........................................................................................96
Live Payroll Data ..........................................................................................................................28
Locking a Report ..........................................................................................................................42
M
Main Menu ...................................................................................................................................15
Manipulating Data in MS Excel ......................................................................................................81
Maximise .....................................................................................................................................10
Menu Bar .................................................................................................................................6, 26
Menu Options................................................................................................................................ 6
Minimise ......................................................................................................................................10
MS Excel workbook.......................................................................................................................81
O
Object window .............................................................................................................................22
Options on the VIP BIM Menu .......................................................................................................17
OR Logic .............................................................................................................................. 50, 52
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P
Page in Pivot Table.......................................................................................................................83
Parameters ..................................................................................................................................59
Parameters on Second Sheet ........................................................................................................40
Password .....................................................................................................................................14
Pivot Table Wizard........................................................................................................................82
Pivot Tables .................................................................................................................................82
PivotChart..................................................................................................................................104
Prefix with Logic Break .................................................................................................................54
Printing the VIP BIM Live Demo Reports ........................................................................................21
Properties window ........................................................................................................................22
Q
Quick Pivot ..................................................................................................................................85
R
Radio Button ................................................................................................................................10
Raw VIP data ...............................................................................................................................40
Report Properties .........................................................................................................................41
Report Properties Buttons .............................................................................................................45
Report Template ..........................................................................................................................70
Row in Pivot Table........................................................................................................................83
Running Standard Reports ............................................................................................................28
S
Scroll Bar ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Shortcut Menu .............................................................................................................................26
Shortcut Menu Options .................................................................................................................. 7
Sort Fields....................................................................................................................................67
Sub Reports ........................................................................................................................... 24, 74
Sub Folders..................................................................................................................................24
Suffix with Logic Break .................................................................................................................54
Support Tools ............................................................................................................................... 4
T
Tabs ............................................................................................................................................. 9
Tick Box........................................................................................................................................ 8

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Toolbar Buttons........................................................................................................................7, 27
U
Union Report................................................................................................................................24
Union Reports ..............................................................................................................................74
Using Prefix and Suffix with Logic Break ........................................................................................53
V
VIP Field Aliasing..........................................................................................................................98
VIP Menu Options ........................................................................................................................16
W
Windows....................................................................................................................................... 8
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VIP BIM User Reference Guide 1st Edition - Soft

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Chapter 2 - Getting Started

Chapter 3 - Creating Reports

Report Properties Buttons..........................................................................................................45

Chapter 4 - Manipulating Data in MS Excel - Pivot Tables

Chapter 5 - General Information

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

Introduction to VIP BIM

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

National Contact Number

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

When a warning is given regarding a specific topic discussed.

When additional information is given regarding a specific topic discussed.

The following conventions are used in VIP BIM:

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

Shortcut Menu Options:

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

Minimise, Maximise and Exit:

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

Installing the VIP BIM Module

Options on the Initial Entry screen

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

Accessing the VIP System

The Initial Entry screen

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

The VIP Main Menu

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

Understanding the VIP Menu Options

Accessing the VIP BIM Menu:

Using the keyboard

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

Options on the VIP BIM Menu:

VIP BIM Demo

VIP BIM Live Demo

VIP BIM Report

VIP BIM Community

Contact VIP Sales for more information about this option.

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

VIP BIM Demo Reports

Accessing VIP BIM Demo Reports from the Main Menu:

VIP Business Intelligence Manager

VIP BIM Demo Reports

A screen similar to the one below will be displayed:

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

VIP BIM Live Demo Reports

Activating the VIP BIM Live Demo Reports option

the Miscellaneous 2 tab

Select (b tick) the Activate

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

Select (b tick) the Activate

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

Printing the VIP BIM Live Demo Reports

VIP Business Intelligence Manager

VIP BIM Live Demo Reports

VIP BIM User Reference Guide

VIP BIM Report Manager

VIP Business Intelligence Manager